An Investigation of how the Accessibility and Use of School Library Information Resources and Services Affects Pupils Academic Achievements in Government and Private Schools: A Comparative Study of David Kaunda National Technical school and Rhodes Park School.

Abstract

School libraries have a close relationship with the learning, research, and influence on the academic performance of school going pupils. This influence is done through the range of information services and resources that they offer that support the academic learning, research and studying in schools. Many studies indicate that school libraries in developing countries have a problem of low user levels and low usage of the information resources or library resources in general. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to investigate how the accessibility and use of school library information resources affects students’ academic achievements in government and private schools. The specific objectives of the study were to compare the access and use of school library information resources and services in both private and government schools, to ascertain how library information resources and services are being used in improving academic achievements, to determine the level of satisfaction of pupils towards school library resources and services. To find out challenges pupils are facing in the use of school library information resources and services, and lastly to find out possible solutions to the challenges faced. The study used both qualitative and quantitative methods to collect data. A total of 72 pupils were sampled from each school using the simple random sampling technique and purposively sampling for the 5 key informants. The major findings revealed that from both DK and RPS, student’s utilization of resources in the library, the availability and accessibility can be attributed to pupils’ academic achievement. The study revealed that the library at DK provides studying space which is not sufficient for all pupils and offers school materials pertaining to the information needs of the pupils at the school. The library is a source of extra information that may not be available in the classroom, therefore giving students a wide range of information. The results found in this research indicate that pupils at DK face more challenges in accessing and using the library information resources and services as compared to pupils at RPS. It was found that the school library helps to widen the thought process of the pupils on the things taught in class. The study concluded that the library at RPS was effective to a higher extent than the library at DK. Furthermore, it was recommended that the library at DK should improve on the space provided and improve on the equipment used to make information available and accessible to pupils.